Refrigerator



Feb. 25, 1930. J. D. CRAFT 1,748,670

' REFRIGERATOR Filed June 6. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNE Y.

Feb. z5, 41930. J, D, CRAFT 13483570 REFRIGERATQR I Filed Jne 6, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Feb. 2s, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN D. CRAFT, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA REFRIGERATOR A Application led U'une 6,

refrigerators is not broadly new, it is the oby ject of my invention to provide multiple units of inner doors of glass or other transparent material which are arranged to close oii compartments independently of the outer door closure as far as size and shape is concerned. It 1s, however, an ob] ect of my inven- 5 tion to so arrange the inner doors that they will be closed when the outer doors are closed.

lThis=object I preferably accomplish by the disposition of members which are adapted to be abutted by the outer doors upon closure l which will bear against the inner doors, and

so insure their closure also. The arrangement of inner doors also has for its object the provision of means for preventing undue heati ing -up of the entire refrigerator during the intervals when articles are being placed in or removed from the refrigerator. A lfurther object is the lconstruction of a refrigerator which will be free of external sweating due to a particular arrangement of gaskets and supporting strips.

The above and other objects which will be referred to during the, ensuing disclosure I accomplish by that certain arrangement and combination of parts of which I have shown to the fo a preferred embodiment.

Referring tothe drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerator showin my invention, in which the door compartment on the right is shown in .open position, and in which the middle one of the three glassdoors is open.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the refrigerator as it would appear taken along thel lines 2 2 in Figure 1 with the outer door closed.

Figure 3 is al sectional view of the refrigerator as it would appear taken along the lines- 3-3 in Figure 1 with both the outer door and the inner doors all closed.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the refrigerator as it would appear taken along the llnes 4-4 in Fi e lwvith both inner -doors and the outer oorclosed.

1927. Serial N'o. 196,689.

with which-the outer doors may be kept securely fastened.` Within the casing and interspaced from the outer or storm doors I have shown a plurality of glass panels 5. which are hinged to the casing as indicated at 6. The glass panels may be whatever size and shape is most convenient. In the refrigerator shown, I have indicated a series of wire screens 7 which divide the box into food compartments. Thejglass panels are preferably so arranged that they coincide with the food compartments. For example, if it is desired to open up the top compartment only, the top panel may be used, and the coldest air in the box which will be in the lower portion, need not be disturbed. By placing those articles which are to be removed and used the more frequently in the upper compartments, much economy in preventing needless introduction of warm exterior air is avoided. The glass panels are interspaced from the outer door by what may be called a dead air space 8 which is another feature which makes for economy.

The glass panels when closed, bear against a resilient bumper rail 9 mounted against the jamb strip 9a. The bumper serves to prevent such a great jarring strain during the closin of the door as to make fracture likely, and a so to prevent radiation through the opening between the panel and the casing. The outer door also'has aresilient bumper rail 10 which it abuts when closed, and in order to providel a simple and inexpensive devicefor supporting the bumper rails, I

lhave provided an L-shaped metal strip 11,

between the outer portion of the box and the inner portion, so that external sweating is substantially minimized.

Another feature of importance is the bumper device which I have shown clearly in Figure 4, which prevents any likelihood of closing the outer door in such a way as to fracture the inner door, and also insures that the inner doors will always be closed when the outer door is closed. I have shown openings 12 in the glass panels through which rods 13 are extended. The outerA ends of the rods are enlarged and rounded as indicated at 14, so that they may serve as handles for the panels, and also as abutments which will have smooth bearings against the inner surfaces of the outer doors. lVithin the holes 12 I have shown supporting flanges, the inner fiange being in the form of a lock nut 15, and the outer flange having a sleeve like body 16 which is threaded into the lock nut. The plunger rods 13 extend through the sleeve in which it has a sli-dable bearing. A nut 17 on the end of the shaft limits the outer extension of the plunger by its engagement with doors are open. Thus, I can normally avoid the use of any types of catch or lock on the inner doors, as there lwill be no'tendency for an inner door to swing open unless it is manually opened by the use of the handle 14.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination with a casing having a refrigerating enclosure, means subdividing the refrigerating enclosure into a plurality of compartment doors forming closures for the compartments, and said casing having an opening through which all of said compartments may be exposed, and a closure for said opening independent of the compartment closures, andresilient means carried by the com-V partment doors adapted'to be engaged by the opening closure substantially at its closed position whereby closing of the closure will close the compartment doors.

2. In a refrigerator an inner closure for a Compartment, and an outer closure with an air space between the closures, and resilient means engageable at substantially closed position of the outer closure for insuring the closure of the inner closure.

3. In a refrigerator an inner closure for a. compartment, and an outer closure with an maatvoair space. between the closures, and means engageable at substantially closed position of the outer closure for insuring the closure of' 

